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Mobiles use surges, fixed-line drops off

Mobile services rose 13 per cent to 29.28 million, the equivalent of five mobiles to every four Aussies

Australia's love of mobile phones continues to grow as more of us hang up on fixed-line telephone services.

Mobile services rose 13 per cent to 29.28 million in the year to June 30, a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) shows.

That equates to about five mobiles for every four Australians.

A surge in the number of mobile wireless broadband services and internet services fuelled the net growth in mobile services, the ACMA said.

Mobile wireless broadband services rose by 39 per cent to 4.79 million services in the year to June 30, 2011, while mobile phone internet services increased by 43 per cent to 9.68 million services.

The number of mobile handset services increased by nine per cent to 24.49 million services.

ACMA chairman, Chris Chapman, said more Australians were adopting various communication devices to suit their lifestyle and professional needs.

"This is most evident in the increased adoption of voice over internet protocol (VoIP), mobiles, the internet and other specific communication channels (such as social networking) in addition to the fixed-line telephone," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

The increase in mobile phones mirrored a rise in the number of Australians without a fixed home telephone line service, 2.7 million at June 30 from 2.3 million a year before.

VoIP services rose 31 per cent to 3.8 million at June 30 from 2.9 million at June 2010.

The number of ADSL internet users rose seven per cent to 4.49 per cent in June 2011.

Chapman said more Australians were using the digital economy.

"They are yet again spending more time online, participating in more activities relating to information, banking, e-commerce and entertainment," he said.

Around 15.4 million Australians went online during the three months to June 30, compared with 14.6 million in the corresponding quarter in 2010.

Meanwhile, 60 per cent of internet users went online more than once a day in June 30, up from 56 per cent in June 2010.

Fixed-line networks continued to carry the bulk of data from the internet, accounting for an estimated 93 per cent of total information downloaded.

More Australians were using the internet to catch up on television programs and streaming radio content.

Nearly 1.1 million Australians used catch-up television services online during June 2011 compared to 568,000 a year before.

The report was tabled in parliament by communications minister, Stephen Conroy, on Monday.

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